Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, are eager to bounce back to winning form as they prepare to host Brighton Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium this Saturday. After facing two consecutive top-flight losses, a situation they haven't encountered since 2016, Manchester City is looking to reverse their recent misfortunes. Meanwhile, Brighton Hove Albion is hoping to break free from their four-game winless streak across all competitions.
The international break in October appeared to arrive at an opportune moment for Man City, offering them a chance to reset following an unusual series of three defeats in four matches across various competitions. During this period, their sole triumph came in the form of a 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Having experienced disappointment against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, Manchester City anticipated that their victory against Leipzig would serve as a catalyst for a turnaround as they approached a top-flight encounter with Arsenal. However, a lackluster performance and a late deflected goal from Gabriel Martinelli resulted in a narrow 1-0 defeat in North London, marking just the second time under manager Pep Guardiola that the Citizens have suffered back-to-back league defeats.
Man City managed only one shot on target against the Gunners, an astonishingly low figure for a Guardiola-managed team in a league fixture over more than a decade. As a result, the reigning champions now find themselves in third place on the table, trailing Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur by two points after eight games.
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This dip in domestic form for City coincided with the suspension of key player Rodri, while Erling Haaland's goal-scoring streak temporarily waned before he regained his form during international duty with Norway. Nonetheless, Guardiola remains optimistic, asserting that his team "will come back stronger" as they chase a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
After a recent string of less successful away matches, Manchester City welcomes the return to the Etihad this weekend, where they have won an impressive 20 consecutive games across all competitions, setting a club record. During this run, they scored 65 goals and conceded only 10.
In addition to their excellent home record, City has a strong historical record against Brighton, with 13 previous home league meetings resulting in 11 wins and two draws. Furthermore, they have secured victory in each of their last nine home encounters with the Seagulls, outscoring them by a total of 24-3, including a 3-1 win in the previous season.
Brighton, on the other hand, has encountered a recent drop in form, with only one win in their last five matches across all competitions. However, they did manage to salvage 2-2 draws in their last two outings against Marseille and Liverpool in the Europa League and Premier League, respectively.
Although Brighton has been praised for their captivating possession-based style of play, they have struggled defensively this season, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their 11 games across various competitions since their 3-0 victory against Arsenal in May.
Brighton heads into the Etihad contest having failed to win in their last three away matches, but they can draw confidence from their earlier 3-1 victory against Manchester United in September. The Seagulls, currently sixth in the Premier League, have only beaten Man City once in a league fixture, a 3-2 home win in May 2021, and they are motivated to secure another victory that could propel them above Pep Guardiola's side, currently sitting in third place.
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